Endorsements: Anderson, Schulz, Walz, Wilson for Warren Township High School District 121 board

Six candidates are seeking four open school board seats in Warren Township High School District 121 as it confronts declining enrollment and an accompanying reduction in state aid.

Incumbent John Anderson, the board president for the past 10 years, says the district has built up reserve funds for short-term issues, but he notes "you can't spend one-time money on recurring expenses."

Incumbent Jim Walz points to efforts to install solar panels as a way to reduce costs, and he says the 100-acre, undeveloped parcel the district owns could be converted, at least in part, into a solar farm. Further savings can be achieved through staff attrition, he says.

Challenger Jonita Wilson, a human resources professional and a member of the diversity committee that addressed problems of racist graffiti found in bathroom stalls in November, expressed confidence in the district's financial officer and says she "loves the idea of solar paneling."

Challenger Paul Schulz, the vice president of finance for casing maker ViskoTeepak, says his experience in creating budgets would be valuable to the board. He views the 100-acre property as "potentially a very good asset" but cautions against a quick sale for short-term benefits.

That's not a view shared by incumbent Liz Biondi, who is on the ballot for a second term after winning her first as a write-in candidate with 31 votes. The district needs to sell the land, she says, especially given budget projections that show multimillion-dollar deficits.

We appreciate that Biondi is a deficit hawk, but we're still troubled by comments she made in late 2014 regarding the possibility of hiring a gay superintendent. Those remarks, for which she later apologized, and contentious interactions with other board members led us to call for her resignation then, and we don't endorse her now.

Nor can we endorse incumbent Catherine Campbell, who didn't respond to interview requests and didn't fill out a candidate questionnaire.

We recommend Anderson, Walz, Wilson and Schulz for the board and encourage them to take a hard line on expenses as state funding decreases.